Selling Photography

I have some questions on selling my photography. I know that I can't sell copyrighted shots, what about my other stuff. I don't know how to go about selling them. I was looking into stock photography but im more interested in selling matted prints, or just prints alone.

Having a website is a good start i know, my skills with that are low at the moment and money is tight as i'm unemployed. Well if anybody has any stories or ideas let me know.

I know starting out i would not be selling much and alot i heard comes from who you know.Well i bet sending them to photo contests and galleries might help build awareness for me but i just don't know where to begin on the business side. I have a few books on the subject it just seems like a large gap between not knowing anything and being on the inside lol.

Re: Selling Photography

It all depends on your location. Some places there are not any galleries or artist's markets.

Look for artist markets and flea markets. But you have to have the time to set up and sit around for the day or days of the market plus have sufficient matted prints to sell. Guessing what will sell is an art.

The other way is to get into a gallery but that's a full time job of selling your photography, and it really depends on your location and how many galleries are in your area. If there isn't that many galleries you just have to be very luckily.

Re: Selling Photography

Ummmm, well your off to a rocky start already because ALL of your work is copyrighted automatically as soon as you take the shot, and you should NEVER give up your rights to your work! If you do you better get a really good check for it, otherwise you better keep the copyright.
Everything I do I keep the copyright to protect myself and my work. Even what the AP used they only had the rights to them for 2 years, after that it reverts back to me. Those photos ran in the US, England and Brazil. Even stock photos I still own the copyright.
And if you don't sell any of your copyrighted photos you won't be able to sell any of em....

Re: Selling Photography

er ....yes you can lol depends on what its for of course, if your making postcards of coke cans then go right ahead coca cola probably wont care. If you shoot a scene with a model wearing brand name clothing you won't really need to get permission from the company to display their clothing in one of your shots.

if you're advertising coca cola or bongo jeans exclusively then you may have some problems

Re: Selling Photography

I believe Coke is a trademark; not a copyright.
Never alter a trademark in a photo, while making it appear to be the same as the trademark. Coke years ago, won or settled (forget which one) a lawsuit against someone or an entity that copyrighted a photo, after they altered the Coke trademark by replacing Cola with 'ain'. Coke didn't think it was too funny.

Re: Selling Photography

Ok i have some shots of for instance car art as i like to call it, parts of cars and emblems. Now I am not selling the brand just a picture of it so can i do this, i have alot of request for these type of images.

Re: Selling Photography

I would be wary of selling anything that has a brand or logo on it (for example, the world "Mercedes" on a car or the 3-point star emblem). Those items are trademarked and/or copyrighted, and your photo of them could be considered a derivative work, and as such you would need permission from the original rights holders.

Practically, you'd probably be find to sell a photo like that to an owner of the car. But I would not just sell them on a site open to anyone, as that raises the greater possibility for "commercial use," which is where you'd start to get in trouble.